


Goin' Out

by WizardSandwich



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Banter, Dialogue Heavy, Other, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28492908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizardSandwich/pseuds/WizardSandwich
Summary: Ardyn has a surprise for his favorite secretary.
Relationships: Ardyn Izunia/Self-Insert
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	Goin' Out

**Author's Note:**

> i can't explain myself this is just me simping

“You know,” Ardyn says, resting his jaw against the back of his hand, “it is the one year anniversary of your employment to the Nox Fleurets. I would have thought you’d be out celebrating.”

Orion snorts, looking up from the form in front of them. “Who celebrates something like that?”

Ardyn smiles, the one that curls at the edges and gives way to amusement, but only barely. It makes his face look soft but somehow cruel all at the same time. Orion wants to run the pads of their thumbs across the edges to make it softer.

“People have told me that’s something worth celebrating, especially for one in your position. But what would I know? I’ve been a chancellor for as long as I can remember.” He waves his hand, whisking the thought away as quickly as it comes, as if the number is unimportant. “Nonetheless, I was wondering if you were busy, but it seems as if you’re just doing the High Commander’s work.”

“That’s my job,” Orion informs, leaning back in their seat. “Though, I’m not sure you really know the definition of a job.”

Ardyn’s voice is smooth with just a lilt of playfulness tinging it, “Come now, dearest, you wound me. I am a hard-working man.”

“Hard-working? Or hardly working?” they ask, huffing out a laugh. “But, hit me. What’d you need?”

“Now, now, I wouldn’t want to hinder your work, if you’re truly working as hard as you’re insinuating. Perhaps another time?” he offers. “Unless you’re not as busy as you seem.”

Orion rolls their eyes, but they're tempted by curiosity alone, “Alright, you got me. I just have another dozen requisition forms to go through. They can wait.”

“Wonderful.” Ardyn smiles again, as he stands and turns away from them. “Pack yourself up, now. We mustn’t waste any time.”

Orion feels as if they’ve missed part of the conversation. They don’t remember agreeing to anything quite yet, but Ardyn is an eccentric man and it’s possible that they _did_ somehow. All the same, they’d like to know.

“Wait, we’re going somewhere?” Orion asks, looking down at the half-finished form on their desk. “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

Ardyn turns to face them again, coat swishing behind him, “Of course we are. Why did you think I wanted to know if you were busy?”

“To bother me?” Orion offers up.

“Tempting,” Ardyn says, “but, alas, that’s not the sole reason.”

Orion stands, packing their papers back into a pile. “I don’t know if I should be worried or not,” they tell him.

Ardyn hums, “It would be best to be worry around a man like me, as I’m sure Lady Lunafreya has forewarned you.”

“I’m clearly not very good at heeding her advice then,” they say, though the Lunafreya had never said anything directly. Insinuated, maybe, but they were still toeing boundaries around one another.

Orion takes a moment to open their desk’s drawer, slipping the stack of paperwork into it. When everything’s in its place, they grab they door key that sits on the corner of the desk. “Let me lock up and then we’ll be set.”

“Take all the time you need.” Though, Orion isn’t sure if he means it or not. They’re not good at reading him, for all that they find him interesting and friendly.

They grab their coat, following him out the door and taking only a moment to lock it. For good measure, they turn the knob and push on the door to make sure it’s actually locked.

Ardyn looks amused when they turn back to him, “I don’t think a flimsy lock will keep any would-be-robbers out, dearest, especially given the company that exists in the Empire.”

Orion shrugs, falling in step beside him as he heads down the hall, “Better safe than sorry, boss.”

The unusual term of endearment has Ardyn raising a brow, “’Boss?’ Really, I thought that would be reserved for Ravus. Though, I suppose I _am_ your boss, in the grand scheme of things. Still, I thought we were closer than that.”

“Eh,” they say, “it’s just a—well, I wouldn’t call it an endearment exactly, but it kind of is? Like, I wouldn’t call someone like Emperor Aldercapt my boss, even though I get Empire checks, you know? Or Commodore Highwind, even though she’s higher ranked than I am.” They scramble a moment to explain, but they can’t think of a suitable way. “It just is, I guess.”

“So is the way of the world, I suppose,” Ardyn says, a far more philosophical answer than anything like that deserves.

“Yeah,” Orion agrees, somewhat unsure. “It sure would be cool if explanations were easy though.”

“I doubt the Astrals would ever will something like that,” Ardyn says dryly. “They are fickle things, sharing knowledge only when it is convenient.”

“You sound like you’ve had some run-ins,” Orion jokes, slinging their jacket over their shoulder as they stop in front of the elevator. With their free hand, they press the button to call the elevator.

Ardyn considers with a hum, “I do, don’t I? Ah, well, that’s what happens when you reach my tender age. You start spouting anecdotes with no basis in reality.”

Orion looks him up and down, “What are you? Thirty? Forty? You’re not that old.”

“I am old enough,” he says, stepping into the elevator as it arrives. Orion dutifully follows after him. “Though, your guess strikes me as a bit low. I thought Lucian magazines toted me as well over fifty.”

“If you’re fifty, you must age well,” Orion says with a snort.

“Oh?” Ardyn says. “I haven’t lost my dashing looks then.”

“Nah, still as dashing as you were a year ago,” Orion informs cheerfully. “Still as oblique too.”

Ardyn hums, “So I’ve been told. Transparency is not my forte. It sits more soundly in your arena.”

“Is that your way of telling me to shut up?”

“Never, dearest,” Ardyn says and he—almost—sounds earnest. “I rather like hearing you speak, even if half of it is inane nonsense about the latest King’s Knight release.”

“They’re good games,” Orion defends. “I’ll get you into them yet.”

“Perhaps one day,” Ardyn agrees noncommittedly.

“So, where’re going, by the way?” Orion finally asks again, fiddling with the hem of their jacket. It starts to slip off of their shoulder, so they take a moment to adjust it again.

“I suppose I could reveal our intended location to you,” Ardyn says after a moment. “You _will_ just ask me again if I don’t.”

Orion rocks back on their heels, sudden nervousness overtaking them. Ardyn knows, so thoroughly, how to make them feel chastised. “You know me so well,” they cover.

“I found a rather endearing café near the city center. I thought since I’d missed the anniversary of our first meeting, we could take a late lunch today, on another such anniversary. Share some gossip. Eat some of those pastries you love so much. A pleasant thought, no?”

“That’s really sweet,” Orion says. “I wouldn’t have expected that from you.”

“You don’t believe I have a penchant for sweetness?” Ardyn asks, looking down at them. They wonder if he ever doesn’t look amused. Perhaps it’s just them.

“I’m not sure,” Orion muses. “You are a pretty swell guy, either way.”

“A glowing endorsement.”

“Anything for you,” Orion jokes, as the elevator comes to a stop.


End file.
